Impersonation of PWDs, Senior Citizens to be penalized

The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading amendment to Ordinance No. 23, series of 2017 to penalize any person impersonating or falsely representing oneself by using or facilitating the use of reserved spaces intended for persons with disabilities (PWDs) and senior citizens in all public and private establishments in the city and appropriating funds for the said purpose.               

Under the proposed ordinance, it shall be unlawful for persons to impersonate or falsely represent themselves as a PWD or senior citizens by using or facilitating the use of reserved spaces intended for PWDs and senior citizens in all public and private establishments in the city.               

Further, only vehicles bearing a PWD sticker and a senior citizen sticker can park in the reserved parking spaces intended for PWDs and senior citizens in all public and private establishments in the city.             

The ordinance stipulated that only stickers by the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO) and the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) shall be adhered to the vehicles.               

For purposes of the proposal, the PDAO and OSCA shall coordinate with the City Treasury Office and the City General Services Office for the reproduction of PWD and senior citizens stickers where the design, measurement and color of the same shall be determined by the said offices and should contain the logo of the city government, control number, the vehicle plate number, and the signature of the City mayor, among others.               

For easy identification by parking attendants, the printed stickers shall be adhered to the external surface of the windscreen of the vehicle nearest the curb for easy visual verification.               

In order for parking attendants to identify impersonators, they can revalidate the identity of the owner, driver or passenger of the vehicle by requiring them to present a valid and duly issued PWD or a senior citizens identification card.               

The ordinance stipulated that the amount of P50,000 from the unappropriated surplus of the 2021 general fund for the printing of the PWD and senior citizens stickers.               

Any person found to have violated the pertinent provisions of the ordinance shall be penalized with a fine of P2,000 for the first offense, a fine of P3,000 for the second offense and a fine of PP5,000 for the third offense.               

The ordinance tasked the City Mayor’s Office-Public Order and Safety Division (CMO-POSD) to establish a hotline or preferred telephone number to receive complaints and reports of violation of the pertinent provisions of the proposed measure.               

Moreover, the POSD, PDAO and OSCA as well as other concerned offices shall promulgate the necessary implementing rules and regulations for the proper implementation of the ordinance.               

Earlier, the research division of the local legislative body conducted a legislative monitoring and evaluation of Ordinance No. 23, series of 2017 and concerned offices recommended for the amendment of the same to strengthen its implementation for the sustained upliftment of the rights of PWDs and senior citizens who are most of the time deprived of their reserved parking spaces. – Dexter A. See